Each February, as the Super Bowl hype machine reaches a fever pitch and gracious hosts across the country begin planning spreads for their hungry guests, demand for chicken wings surge and they become the most expensive part of the chicken. For whippersnappers like me who can barely remember a time before this Domino's jingle was haunting our collective dreams (Gotta be, gotta be Domino's… BUFFALO WINGS), this seems natural. I mean, what else are people going to eat while they're watching football and drinking beers? This is America.

However, as many of you know, chicken wings did not always occupy this lofty perch upon the pyramid of desirable poultry parts. There was a time, before the Super Bowl itself, when wings were an afterthought in kitchens across America. People found them a suitable ingredient for chicken stock or discarded them entirely. That all changed one star-crossed Friday night in Buffalo, New York in 1964.

There are conflicting accounts about the circumstances surrounding their debut, but most agree that Teressa Bellissimo prepared and served them to customers at Anchor Bar. It was late on a Friday night, and Teresa snapped the wings in half (creating the "drumette" and the "flat"), deep-fried them with no breading, slathered them in a homemade hot sauce, and served them with celery and blue cheese dressing. Genius for its simplicity and flavor, the dish became an instant hit in Buffalo, followed relatively quickly by the rest of the nation. (If you want to know the full story on the origin of buffalo wings, this article is a good start.)

If you've been in our shop even a few times, you know that our take on this American classic is a staple in our prepared foods case. We always make extra for Super Bowl Sunday, but you guys always seem to buy us out. If you want to make sure that your party is stocked this year, check out our catering menu and give us a call at 908-306-8806 to place your order today.